It's the 3D iPhone! Well, sort of

iPhone rumours come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the more optimistic notions that pops up every so often is that Apple is secretly preparing to unleash a 3D version of its mobile over-achiever.

We're not holding our breath on that one, but thanks to a clever new accessory there could be a way of adding 3D smarts to your iPhone sooner than you think, and for as little as £20.

A company called Global Wave has been causing a bit of a stir at the 3D and Virtual Reality Expo in Tokyo this week with its Pic3D sheet, a thin film that enables you to view on-screen images in 3D without glasses using a lenticular lens system.

The film will be offered in various sizes to view 3D content on non-3D TVs, but Global Wave is also planning versions for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. An app on board your Apple device will do the hard work of outputting video in a dual side-by-side format, simulating the 3D effect.

The system will be compatible with YouTube clips, though the specifics of how it will work and whether other sources and formats will be supported isn't entirely clear as yet.

Global Wave says its aiming to get the system on the market by the end of next month, with the iPhone/iPod touch version expected to retail for a little under £20.